Healthy Park, healthy people in citys unique location

METROPOLITAN  NATIONAL Park is one of Panama’s unique treasures, described on its website as A lungs of the city,   it is the only dry tropical forest located inside a  city in Latin America.

Its 232 hectares  are home to 284 tree species, 45 mamal species and 254 bird, reptile and amphibian species.

It also provides some of the best views of Panama and the canal, hosts tours and seminars, and  gives the public access to a tropical crane, one of only 12 in the world where, like the Smithsonian  Institute tropical researchers,  they can study  under the forest canopy multiple flora and  some of the, as yet unregistered, myriads  of tropical insects.

There are three main walking routes in the park catering for all ages, and the price of a visit is usually minimal. Even that will shrink on Sunday February 21 when the park’s visitor center hosts its third, “Healthy Park, Healthy People”, conference  to encourage the community to practice healthier life styles.

The event takes place at the visitor center of the park, from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, and will offer varied lectures on diet and exercise.

Organizations and companies in the health and fitness fields will also be participating.

The activities include two yoga classes from 8:00 am, and a lecture from 10:00 am, with topics of general interest, such as adequate food for a full life, sugar addiction sugar, preparing for pregnancy and how to think more positively.

During the day access to all the trails, either for family walks or sports, will be free of charge.

The  Metropolitan Natural Park journey of health  program is a proposal that emerged during the V World Conservation Congress, held in 2012 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature on the island of Jeju, South Korea.

In the first event in February 2014, there were 180 participants. in 2015 attendance swelled to 300 people.

“Our goal is to increase the number of participants  every year so that we can develop more activities  says Geraldine Carrillo, head of marketing and promotion for  the park.